Safety

So, we were able to keep two important features of the hours-of-service rules in place — which should have been no surprise to any one.

U.S. freight railroads have reached a tentative contract with about 81,000 workers represented by the United Transportation Union, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) signed a bill to temporarily allow trucks hauling forest products to exceed state weight limits by 5% in hopes of helping them offset high fuel prices, the Associated Press reported.

Canadian Logistics software provider Descartes Systems Group said it has acquired Fluensee Inc.’s MobiTrac fleet management business.

WASHINGTON — In a controversial report calling for huge new spending on the national transportation system, a congressional commission last week made several recommendations that would affect trucking, including new flexibility in the federal driver hours-of-service rule in congestion-prone areas.

WASHINGTON — A congressional report calling for a huge new federal investment in transportation infrastructure financed by hefty tax increases brought sharp opposition from Republicans, including Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who led the commission.

Economic activity increased modestly from of mid-November through early January, although demand for transportation services was generally weak, the Federal Reserve said.

Transport Topics Online will be closed Monday, Jan. 19, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Tuesday, Jan. 20, due to the presidential inauguration. Please check back on Wednesday, Jan. 21, for the latest trucking and freight transportation news.

I think everyone is becoming tired of the continued drama from the hours-of-service debacle. Does the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration really believe they can reissue the same rules the courts have thrown out twice and they will now be accepted?